TN: Teachers protest Minister’s wife transfer

Chennai, Aug 29 (IANS) The transfer of Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar’s wife from a government secondary school in Pallavaram to an institution in Triplicane has triggered criticism among teachers, as the general transfer counselling process remains suspended following court orders.

She was serving as a science teacher at Maraimalai Adigal Government Higher Secondary School in Pallavaram before being transferred to Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Triplicane.

Transfers of teachers in government primary, high and higher secondary schools are normally processed through general counselling conducted on the Education Management Information System (EMIS) portal. Counselling for the academic year was scheduled to take place in June but was halted following judicial intervention.

Against this backdrop, teachers have questioned how an individual transfer was approved while the counselling process remained stalled. They alleged that preferential treatment may have been extended because the teacher is the Law Minister’s wife. They also linked the choice of the Triplicane school to its proximity to the Minister’s official residence on Greenways Road. However, there has been no confirmation that the location influenced the decision.

The transfer has created concern at the Pallavaram school, where the science teacher’s post has reportedly remained vacant for nearly two months. No replacement has been appointed, forcing the faculty to take additional classes and shoulder a heavier workload.

Teachers said the school has a substantial student strength and was already facing concerns over its student-teacher ratio. The continuing vacancy, they said, has placed pressure on the faculty and disrupted the regular allocation of classes. They warned that the shortage could affect the quality of teaching and students’ learning, particularly if the post remains vacant for a prolonged period.

Teachers now have to divide the additional classes among themselves while continuing with their existing academic and administrative duties. They have urged the School Education Department to appoint a replacement without further delay so that students’ academic work is not affected.

They have also sought greater transparency in transfers and postings, especially at a time when hundreds of teachers are waiting for the resumption of general counselling. The episode has renewed demands for the government to explain the criteria under which transfers are being permitted during the suspension and to ensure that the same rules are applied to all eligible teachers.

–IANS

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